History Repeating Itself

[dune]

I have 50/50 view of how this thread will go, but just a change can I ask that whatever your view and the views of others you simply put your view on the situation accross and don't turn this into a Sog v Alps match for example. I hope you two don't take offence at this example as you both remain civil with each other by and large so you're both not a problem and the way old Bern reels Alps in time after time and Alps always thinks he's the champion is amusing. Ha Ha - these forums really are utter utter drivel, but that's why we all love them.

 

Cast you mind back over the Rupert Lowe years and there were four distinct periods.

 

1. When he first came and certain individuals lined their pockets with a reverse takeover and Lowe got his grubby mits on the chairmanship for almost nothing. This was a period of danger for Lowe because he wasn't completely in control with a lot of hardline and middle ground fans (better to call them customers) not happy and this lobby had some power to dethrone him. They may have stayed away and put a financial strain on the clubs finances, they may have campaigned and given people in a position to influence who the chairman was a dilema. This was a delicate period for Lowe, but he was always looking pretty.

 

2. Then there was moving from the Dell and selling out 32,000 seats most week, and moderately sucessful league finnished culminating in a cup final and a European place. Lowe was walking on water at this time and despite there being a few people against him he was safe as houses.

 

3 But by then Lowe had become complacent and the wacky revolutionary ideas of his was the new way football was going to head in, and he was going to show everyone else how Rupert the invincible knew more than any other chairman. His first mistake was the war of words with Spurs. Like Nigel Farage delivering a key note speech he loved the atttention and loved the way his words were roundly supported by Saints fans. He burnt the bridge that may have meant Hoddle could have been less hated and for the first time he didn't get his own way. This caused him to deeply resent those who blocked him and made him determined to reassert his authority over his club (because that is how he saw us) and see to it that the manager that he didn't want was gone asap. And so began the sharp downward curve of the clubs fortunes and therefore Lowes decline which culminated in relegation, a hostile campaign by a lot of fans (including those key middle ground fans) and ultimately Lowe being ousted.

 

4. The fourth and final period is not really worth mentioning as Lowe was utterly powerless and was a proverbial dead man walking.

 

So as you see there was a pattern that correlated between the clubs fortunes and Lowe's popularity and it's the same for Cortese because like with Lowe he isn't the daddy. Cortese's popularity curve started on a high and despite various decisions (that Rupert Lowe would have crucified for) he has ridden on the wave of Markus's money and fear from some fans of questionong NC because they basically worry that if there is any criticism Cortese may leave and take the Liebherr family with him.

 

However I have noticed a discernable shift this week with the sacking of Alan Pardew and Cortese is now starting to be criticised by those he must take seriously and fear - the middle ground. He is now in a very dangerous position and because of that he is somewhat constrained on what he'd like to do and say - in essence his not as powerful today as he was a few weeks back. Nicola is now in trouble because he has exhibbitted poor jusgement once too often and people are now starting to judge him on what they've witnessed from him, and not just the fact he came with the money.

 

Nicola is at a crossroads right now, it is a similar crossroad to the one Rupert stood at after firing Paul Sturrock and it is by no means certain that Cortese will take the right turn or whether the similarities between him and Lowe will continue. But what is most shocking of all is how quickly Cortese has reached the point it took Lowe about 8 years to reach. It is such a shame that events are transpiring to be oh so similar to how it was with Lowe because when NC first arrived the things he said and did pointed to him having looked at our recet history and learning the lessons. I am now of the view that he learnt nothing.

Edited 31 August, 2010 by dune

[kpturner]

Is there a shorter version? I want to go to bed

[1976_Child]

Spot on Mr Dune. F u king spot on.

 

Cortese is all promise, no substance as yet. He needs to wake the fkuc up and smell the coffee otherwise he is just another useless, clueless business man who thinks he knows how to run a football club. Get a decent manager in; give him a budget and the leave him alone. Not fakcing rocket science, is it?

[sfc4prem]

Agree with Dune. Cortese better appoint a good manager, and provide him with 100% backing without any interference, or my opinion will completely change.

 

I supported Cortese wholeheartedly last week and previous to that, but this decision to sack Pardew (the timing of it, mostly) has caused me to side more on the anti-Cortese side. Shame really, it could have all been so different.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Be careful what you wish for. I don't agree with AP's departure - not one bit - however the plain truth is, Markus saving us was frankly almost a miracle given the other options that were available and within that package came NC. And let's not forget that it was NC that suggested us to Markus, so in one regard HE saved us from disaster. We may not agree with everything going on right now and yes we're stinging a bit from recent events, however it could get a lot worse if NC were to decide he no longer wished to be the guardian and enactor of Markus' dream.

[Barry the Badger]

At the end of the day he's not in trouble unless the owners think he's doing a bad job. We could shout and scream all we like but it is up to them.

[scotty]

While I agree with Dune's analysis of the Lowe years, its worth remembering that the people Cortese represents are actually financing the club, not milking it for all its worth like the duckhunter. As long as its his wallet then frankly its his call.

 

fwiw I thought the AP axing wasn't the greatest of moves, and I'm struggling to see any potential replacements that would be seen as a clear step upwards from Pards, but who knows? Lets wait and see, we might yet be amazed again......

[Wopper]

If Cortese carrys on f*cking people about he can expect verbal abuse. He needs to remember Germans dont like losers and could easily replace him.

[alpine_saint]

Cortese is at a crossroads in that his choice of manager will not only determine the fate of his chairmanship, but also possibly the fate of the club. I am shocked that he took such an immediate action without having a replacement lined up. It seems totally out of character.

 

This is definitely a dangerous time for SFC.

 

I couldnt care less about the rest of your post, which to me is a thinly-veilled personal attack on NC.

[alpine_saint]

Spot on Mr Dune. F u king spot on.

 

Cortese is all promise, no substance as yet. He needs to wake the fkuc up and smell the coffee otherwise he is just another useless, clueless business man who thinks he knows how to run a football club. Get a decent manager in; give him a budget and the leave him alone. Not fakcing rocket science, is it?

 

Yeah, the millions in financing he played a huge role in securing for the club count for diddly-squat...

[scotty]

I am shocked that he took such an immediate action without having a replacement lined up. It seems totally out of character.

.

 

We dont know that at all do we? The fact that the new manager wasnt immediately announced doesnt mean Cortese hasnt got one lined up.

[Liquidshokk]

Dune, How can you go from writing some of the most bizarre, seriously messed up posts to one of such sense and correctness in the space of a few years?!!? Drugs just dont last as long these days do they!

[JustMike]

Cortese is at a crossroads in that his choice of manager will not only determine the fate of his chairmanship, but also possibly the fate of the club. I am shocked that he took such an immediate action without having a replacement lined up. It seems totally out of character.

 

This is definitely a dangerous time for SFC.

 

I couldnt care less about the rest of your post, which to me is a thinly-veilled personal attack on NC.

 

yep, agree with this

[Ian the Red]

Cortese is at a crossroads in that his choice of manager will not only determine the fate of his chairmanship, but also possibly the fate of the club. I am shocked that he took such an immediate action without having a replacement lined up. It seems totally out of character.

 

This is definitely a dangerous time for SFC.

 

I couldnt care less about the rest of your post, which to me is a thinly-veilled personal attack on NC.

 

Agree Apline. The wrong manager and the Club will be in trouble.

 

As for Dune's original post, some truth but nowhere near correct. NC must take a great deal of creidt for saving our Club, he presuaded ML to buy. IMO there has been/was something going on behind the scenes which we may never know. NC is going nowhere unless the Leibherr family decide to appoint someone else or sell the Club. So we have no say. Saints will win promotion and come May next year the dark days at the end of August/begining of September will be long forgotten.

[paulsfc]

I think you could probably make a case for comparing most chairmen to RL and indeed NC. They do have a tendency to make unpopular/bizarre decisions. Probably a control thing. The original post is interesting tho in that the timescale it has taken NC to become that unpopular is remarkably quick. However Lowe made some pretty unpopular decisions in his first few years - replacing Souness with Jones raised some eyebrows (jones was totally unproven at a higher level) and the way Jones dismissal was handled reflected badly on the club but then BAM! out he comes with Hoddle and all is forgiven. It was only when he made several bad appointments on the trot (Sturrock followed by Wigley followed by you know who) that the wheels started to come off. I think NC could afford to get it wrong with this appt but only if he acts quickly when it appears it is going wrong which RL, to give him some credit, usually did. This is what saved his bacon a few times.

[Brussels Saint]

Agree with your point about the middle ground. Who our next manager is will be a critical decision (if not already taken). I still have faith though it will be good news, all the current rumours are just that and as St. Mary's is a closed shop with nothing getting out, we genuinely will have no idea until its announced.

 

Ultimately though results will still be key, no matter who he appoints (even Hart god forbid), if we win the league by a margin, the vast majority of Saints fans (from obsessive to part-time plastics) will be behind NC no matter what he does that is annoying. I understand some fans will be unhappy if the club loses some of its soul, or they deem its values lost, but they will be a serious minority. Football is a results game period.

 

Win NC = Legend

Lose NC = Rupes

[Whitey Grandad]

Cortese is at a crossroads in that his choice of manager will not only determine the fate of his chairmanship, but also possibly the fate of the club. I am shocked that he took such an immediate action without having a replacement lined up. It seems totally out of character.

 

This is definitely a dangerous time for SFC.

On this we both agree.